Been interested in Astronomy for 5 minutes

[Honest_Gaza]

Was sitting with my Son a couple of weeks ago watching Apollo 13 and he took a great interest in it. It has inspired us to start looking upward and seeing what we can find.

After looking through posts on this forum for the last week (many late nights), and seeing the advice that was given to other newbies, decided that a Dobsonian Scope would be the way to go. So will be picking up a 10" GSO from Andrews Communications (again thanks to this Forum) this afternoon and will be looking up for the Starship Enterprise this evening....if Scotty can get those engines to work.

And apparently it is traditional to apologise in advance to the rest of you for the poor weather that is about to overtake Sydney ;)

[Allan_L]

Good on ya Gazza
and Welcome to IIS :welcome:

Its good to see you have been reading up already and know the local protocols. (BTW - Good choice.)
If you need any help or have any further questions, do not hesitate to post them.

To keep the enthusiasm, it is good to seek out an observing group near you.
There are a few in Sydney, and a few Sydney siders even come up to our Mangrove Mountain sessions at the "MM Pony Club".
Look under the Star Parties forum.

Keep looking Up.
Regards
Allan

[mental4astro]

Oi, oi! How about Katoomba Airfield too??? :D

Good stuff Gazza, for sure! :thumbsup:

Like Allan says, look in the Star Parties forum. You'll regularly find a few sessions announced in and around Sydney. And don't forget the various Astronomy Clubs (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/clublistings.html) throughout Sydney. You'll find every one will be most welcoming of you and your son, and your new scope!

Mental.

[brian nordstrom]

:) Good advice , and onya Gary :welcome: , thats a great choice of 1st scope .
Its good to see you done your home work first , as this is going to save you lots of waisted time and frustrations .
Get to one of the gatherings and you will meet some great people and learn so much , as you will here at IIS . :thumbsup: .
Brian.

[Ric]

Hi Garry and welcome to IIS.

I hope you and your son have many great years of observing together.

Good luck for tonight.

[rustigsmed]

nice one Gazza,

I wish my first scope was a 10"er!
you two will get some nice views!

[syousef]

Grab a cheap pair of binoculars while you're at it. They should help you more with learning the constellations and getting to know your way around.

I'm preparing a talk for my astronomy club next month called "Adventures with cheap binoculars" (by which I mean under $50. The $49 Wide Angle ones Andrews sells aren't terrible.

http://www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/~sammy/astronomy/Adventures%20With%20Cheap%20Binocul ars%20In%20Suburban%20SkiesRev3.pdf

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

The Beast has been picked up and have just completed the assembly. Unfortunately, it didn't come with any instructions whatsoever which is a bit strange if this is the ideal telescope type for a "beginner"....is that normal ?

It seems that you have to already be a rocket scientist to be a rocket scientist :rofl:

A quick phone call to Luke at Andrews Comms and I promptly received a copy of assembly instructions via e-mail :thumbsup:

The next problem is that there are no instructions included on what knob does what, so I guess I have a few hours of Googling ahead before it gets dark.

[mental4astro]

Tonight is a good one to start on the Moon with! The current cloud won't be a problem with it.

Take you new beast outside & mount the finder scope (you may have done this already).

Look at your new eyepieces and identify the one with the largest number in mm. That will be your low power EP. Insert it into the focuser. There may be two little screws under the focuser, loosen a little the one closest to the scope if it is tight - it will allow the draw tube to move when you turn the focus wheel.

Aim the scope at the Moon using your finder, centering it on the cross hairs. Look through the eyepiece in the focuser. If the Moon isn't in the field of view slowly move the scope about back and forth, side to side. Take your time and you will find it.

You can now centre the Moon in the finder scope by adjusting the two adjustment screws on its mount.

Then experiment with the different eyepieces and see what they do with the Moon.

Don't worry about "collimation" tonight! No use with the excitement you'd be feeling, :D

When the stars are up, have a look for Saturn. It's easy tonight. Look straight up around 7pm. There will be two bright stars close to one another. One of them will be Saturn. Use your low power eyepiece to locate it (along with you finder first!). If it isn't the first star you've looked at it will be the second. You won't forget your first look at this bad boy!

Enjoy. :thumbsup:

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks Mental.....have already collimated (easy instructions found on youtube).

Thanks for the advice on using the eyepiece with the largest number...I had assumed that the one with the smallest number would give widest field of view ?

And yes, discovered which screw allows the eyepiece to slide all the way in under gravity (whoops).

Saturn is definitely a must do....want to see those rings for myself to make sure the books didn't make it all up.

[mental4astro]

Gaza, I've sent you a PM.

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks Mental....have responded.

We just got our first look at the moon and the lad is pretty happy :)

Not sure if we are getting ahead of ourselves but we're going to attack it with a x 2.5 Barlow now.

[mental4astro]

Thrash away!:)

[Honest_Gaza]

Holy Crap...we are now looking directly at Saturn....rings and all.

10 Year old could not believe it. :eyepop:

Even the Wife and 19 Year old Son came out to see. I've got my money's worth on that sight alone

[mental4astro]

:cool::party::atom::clap::jump::jum p2::party2::love::2thumbs::D

[Honest_Gaza]

Looks like we were lucky we started early.....clouds have since rolled in and covered most of the sky.

Can't complain....seeing Saturn's rings at our first attempt...just confirms what a great thing the 10" Dobsonian is for a beginner.

Alex thanks for the tip-off about where to find Saturn :thumbsup:

[seeker372011]

Deja vu all over again.
Well done

[seeker372011]

Can I suggest the next thing you need to get is a good book..try Turn left at Orion , you can get it fairly cheap off the Internet

It's Northern hemisphere centric but it doesn't matter.

It will help you get along no end.

[leon]

Although late welcome mate.

leon

[smithcorp]

Awesome stuff! Hope to have a little dobsonian tomorrow ourselves to take a peak...

[mental4astro]

If you are not sure now where Saturn is, right now look at the Moon. Just to the left of the Moon are two bright stars. One of these is Saturn. Even a pair of binos will show the star as a pin point of light, but Saturn will actually be a largish dot. Even a magnification of 30X will show the rings!

Have a look if you haven't before, ;)

[Honest_Gaza]

Sounds like a good idea...we basically spent the night aimlessly wandering across the Universe but like a magnet, our attention always came back to Saturn.

Certainly going to have to set ourselves some goals / targets on what to fnd over the next few weeks. I know Jupiter is high on my boy's list.

[Honest_Gaza]

Yes, gave me a chance to test my i-Phone "Go Skywatch App". We were sitting inside having dinner and recovering from our amazing discovery of Saturn when I was showing the young fella where Saturn could be found next. Completely different spot compared to where we had seen it an hour earlier before the clouds hit.

We ventured back outside and were very surprised to see the clouds had gone, the Moon had moved....and sure enough, there were those same two bright stars you had mentioned alongside the Moon.

[sparrow_34]

From Skytools3 Visual Synopsis:
On this night Jupiter is best visible between 05:03 and 06:13, with the optimum view at 05:46. Look for it in Taurus, low in the northeastern sky during morning twilight. It is obvious visually in the 10" DOB. It is magnitude -2 with a diameter of 34".

Look for the Great Red Spot appearing on the eastern limb at about 05:11.

In the following 30 days this object is obvious visually from June 29 on, with the best view coming on July 28. During this period it will brighten slowly, slowly move higher in the sky and slowly grow.

On December 3, 2012 it will be at opposition (when it will be best observed) at magnitude -2.8 and subtending 48"x 45"

On June 20, 2013 this planet will be in conjunction with the Sun, when it will pass behind the solar disk.

Cheers

[stephenb]

A belated welcome to you Garry and great choice of scope too. :thumbsup:

Sounds like you have the bug :thumbsup: Like many of us, you'll be talking about that first memorable view of Saturn for many years to come.

Download Sellarium (stellarium.org (http://stellarium.org)) if you haven't done so yet. Great planetarium program - and free!

Stephen.

[brian nordstrom]

Hi Gaza , did you notice any improvement in the view after the 1 hour ?
I was just wondering as the optics would have settled to the outside temperature by then .
But thats another story , you and your family carry on enjoying the views , as there is plenty more ;) .
Brian.

[Honest_Gaza]

I probably introduced too many variables throughout the evening to have a valid reference point for commenting on viewing quality.

Having read a number of threads over the last week, I made sure the scope was sitting outside from about 4:30pm to get accustomed to the temperatures. I also kept running inside to post updates and seek further advice....which obviously would have played havoc with my "night vision".

My biggest "mistake" was continually swapping the eyepieces to see what differences they made without really understanding why....so some research to be done there.

We had to call it a halt when we both started getting sore eyes from squinting the non-viewing eye.....might invest in a Pirate's outfit to solve that problem :P

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks for the tip....also had a quick look at the Skytool that Sparrow referred to (bit too pricey at this stage).

[Varangian]

G'day Gary, flying through your eyepieces is all part of it, you can get heaps of advice on eps but they are very personal (I mean brands as well size) and require a good deal of looking through before you find what's best for you. When you get to it, I recommend a good wide field 26mm up to 40mm for the 10" dob, as well as a good 6-10mm for planetary viewing. The brands and quality as always depend on the coin. You probably knew all of this already having read the threads for the past few weeks :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:) Gaza I have a 26mm wide field for sale in the classifieds if youy are interested ?
brian.

[Honest_Gaza]

The scope came with 6, 9, 15, and 25mm Eyepieces (GSO Plossil) so they should keep us busy for a while and I also purchased a x 2.5 Barlow, ND Filter and Laser Collimator.

Apart from adding some wheels to the mounting base, I think further accessories will be put on hold....except maybe some more filters and some more anything else that crops up :lol:

(I'm sure this has already cost me some high heel shoes in various colours)

[silv]

hey! :hi:

it's so great to read about your excitement and your son's, too!!
thanks for sharing!

and there I was, yesterday, for hours fighting fiercely with aligning my GoTo mount, :bashcomp:
while all along I could have had my first sight of glorious Saturn, as well!
I saw it up there - but mentally retarded as I am, I did not decide to focus in on it... grrrrrr!

Awesome to read from someone who did the right thing! yay!

[silv]

you are a very open minded guy! good on you!

:lol:

[Honest_Gaza]

Hell yes....I'll even let the Wife use them ;)

[brian nordstrom]

:rofl: the black and white ones will match your new scope very nicely :D, just the accesory for those long dark observing nights ..:rolleyes:.
Good onya Gaz , keeping the peace , nice to see.
Brian.

[Honest_Gaza]

Just completed my first mod. Added 3 x Rubber Swivel Brake Castors to the base of the mount.

Should beat the hell out of dragging the scope across the concrete when changing viewing positions in the backyard. Hopefully the castor locking mechanisms will hold the scope steady...if not, removal of some screws and I'm back where I started.

[Honest_Gaza]

The only problem is that they will make me even taller and force me to bend my back even more to view through the scope :lol:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup:Na mate they will de fine , by the way what diameter casters did you use ?
Brian

[brian nordstrom]

:rofl: The casters will compensate nicely , a win , win I think ?
Brian.

[Honest_Gaza]

50mm Diameter rated at 40kg each (8G 20mm screws)

[mental4astro]

I suggest before you purchase any new bits of gear, get yourself, son, family, & scope to a star party, informal or with an Astro club, & see what some of this other gear looks like, & even how it performs in your scope.

Until then, the gear you have is fantastic to get going for a long time still!

Mental

[Honest_Gaza]

Sounds like good advice to me Alex (suffered gear acquisition syndrome when first getting into DSLR photography a few years ago).

Out of interest, should there be any focus adjustment on the finder scope. Even the moon looks out of focus at this early hour but the lens appears to be clean.

[Allan_L]

The focus adjustment in the finder scope is usually at the fat end. {technical term}.

There's a locking ring behind it which is released first.
then You focus by twisting/turning the main lens cell.
Once focused, tighten the locking ring again.

Thats how my Skywatcher finder scope works anyway.

[brian nordstrom]

:) Yes Alan , I think most ( if not all, out of east asia ) finders focus this way .
Brian.

[Honest_Gaza]

Brilliant....had to back off the locking ring a long way before the focus ring did it's job but now the moon is in focus.

Once again the forum members come through :)

[Suzy]

Hi Gary & :welcome:
Now that's what I like to hear- someone who's done their research and read thru the forums- good on you! :thumbsup:

I don't think anyone ever forgets their first Saturn experience. It's very much like the "first time" of ..... ahemm you know what I mean- only better.:D No one's yet been able to make my heart palpitate like Saturn did. :P:lol:

You may be interested in an article which I did, listing easy to find, bright targets for beginners for what's in our sky at the moment. The LMC- if you're up for a very late night or early wake up call, should be high enough around 4am (check Stellarium). It's not on the list but will be in my forthcoming Summer list when it rises earlier. So much to explore there- it's crazy seeing star clusters and nebula in another galaxy!

The Virgo galaxy group isn't on my list as they're faint and may require a bit of experience to star hop and find- but have a go- it's in our sky at the moment. There are something like a thousand galaxies in Virgo! Just in one degree of sky alone, you can find 10 galaxies as in Markarian's Chain (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090609.html) (which includes Virgo A- a giant elliptical galaxy & radio source). If you get a chance- & if you're up for a challenge- and you're 10" will be very capable of performing this task- have a go! Start with your 25mm to find it, then swap to the 10mm to observe. When I tried the 15mm on my 10" dob each time I've looked at them they were very tiny, the 10mm brought them up bigger & better to observe them.

Highlights of the Winter Sky (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-691-0-0-1-0.html)


Regarding the focal lengths of your eyepieces, as a guide:
The 9mm & 6mm will be good for planets (going to 6mm depends on sky)
The 15mm & 10mm will be good for galaxies (sometimes the 6mm if the galaxy is bright enough and conditions are good)
The 15mm will be good for globular clusters
The 25mm will be good for open clusters and finding things in general.

[Honest_Gaza]

Saturn is good Suzy....so good I celebrated later with the Wife and....ahemm. :D

And yes, I did find reference to the article you did and printed it out for viewing in the next few nights / weeks so thanks in advance for your efforts on that piece.

I will also follow your suggestions in relation to the eyepiece uses.

[Honest_Gaza]

You not going to believe my latest problem.

Now that the Finder Scope is focused correctly, I aim at Saturn through the Scope and "bang" there it is in the Eye Piece....brilliant.

I identify the Southern Cross with my eyes with the intention of finding a couple of treats that Suzy alluded to...and now when I look through my Scope Finder...I can see too many bloody stars to know which is the Crux....it focuses too damn well :lol:

[Allan_L]

Yes! I know that feeling well.
If you think there are too many stars now ...
wait till you get a dark sky (ie New Moon) :eyepop:

[Suzy]

:lol: I had the same problem with my finder- aye, too many stars & couldn't find anything. Quick smart I added a Red Dot Finder. You can get them for around $30 from Andrews Communications online. It's zero magnified, so looking thru it is as exactly as you'd see the sky, then you just point the red laser dot onto the star- too easy! :thumbsup:

[cjamo9]

i use acrux to find myself, its easy to identify because of the other little star rite next to it. the red dot finders are brilliant not only for getting to the stuff you want to look at but for knowing exactly where in the sky the thing you just found is. befor my RDF i would take my eye away from the scope and be completely lost even with the finderscope.

[Honest_Gaza]

Again, I stumbled about the sky tonight....having great difficulty in finding my bearings. Eventually, I was able to use the "Pointer" stars to slide across to the Crux and believe I successfully located the Jewel Box NGC 4755 referred to in Suzy's guide. I really must get the RDF that a few of you have suggested (I'm assuming that these don't upset Police Helicopters)

Where I am completely lost is finding any Nebulae....so would welcome any hints / guidance on how to locate such a beast :(

Of course, when it was time to pack up the scope I had to take yet another look at Saturn....still amazes me :)

[Allan_L]

When Orion comes back around, the easiest (and perhaps most spectacular) nebula to find is M42 The Orion Nebula.
It is simply the "middle star" in the sword or Orion.
[some people might know it better as the middle star in the handle of "the Saucepan"]

But for now, the easiest to find is Eta Carina nebula.
Start by looking at Crux.
(roughly) follow the cross arms about 2 widths to the right.
You can naked eye see the nebulous glow.
Point your red dot finder at that, then use your finder scope to zero in on the bright section.
Then look through the eyepiece and be prepared to be amazed.

Another one, when the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is up, is Tarantula Nebula. I think it is located by pointing at the top left hand edge of the LMC. (I could be mistaken, that could be the "through the lens" appearance (ie reversed image). LMC is perpendicular to the two pointers, going through the South Celestial Pole, maybe 6 times the distance between the pointers.
That fuzzy blob! you can't miss it. But it sets pretty early these nights I think.

Check them out on Stellarium, to fine tune your star hopping.

Enjoy!

[cjamo9]

the RDF's only project on to there own little screen so the cops wont mind, Allans rite about the keyhole nebula in eta carina plus if you stay on that side of the crux there are lots of other faint fuzzys around it. there is a cluster i love to see, if you take the pointer star closest the crux and the star from the crux closest to the pointers draw a triangle with that line as the base, aim at an imaginary third spot above it and you will see ngc5139 or there abouts. thats one mother of a cluster.

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks Allan and Clinton.....will try and get my hands on an RDF today and try my luck tonight.

I did get to see Jupiter this morning around 6:30am (along with a small portion of Venus) but thought it was a bit too cold to wake up the young fella.

[Honest_Gaza]

Red Dot Finder mounted and aligned....what a huge difference :thumbsup:

A must have for all beginners. Now we'll go searching for some of those Nebulae.

[Honest_Gaza]

No luck so far :( Coffee Break....then back at it.

[cjamo9]

the moon light robs us of a lot of good seeing, hope it buggers of before the weather comes back again. for that big cluster its not an equalateral triangle the sides pointing at it are about 2 times the lenght of the base. hope that helps. with my 12"f5 dob the view of it is amazing with a 30mm ep, almost fills the whole field. with so much light out i recon the keyhole nebula in eta is the go over the other side id say omega and the eagle nebula i think will be visable with your scope. stellarium is a great free download and will lead you in the right direction also. i would still be blind without it.:thumbsup:

[Honest_Gaza]

Very disheartened...couldn't find the Eta Carinae Nebula. Found a couple of Star Clusters but didn't see any cloudiness around it and as per Alex's comment on another thread, I'm assuming that I'd have known if i had found it.

Allan, you mentioned I should be able to see it with the naked eye...but maybe I have too much ambient lighting around me...I got nuthin' :(

[Allan_L]

Can you see the Milky Way as it shoots out from either side of The Southern Cross?

Just out to the right, about one cross span, is a bright spot.
Then about the same again is another.
That is eta Carina.

But if you can't see the Milky Way you will have trouble finding it.

Most of us dont even bother looking when the Moon is this full.

In two weeks time, it will be easy to spot.

Be patient, and in the meantime, look at it in stellarium. ;)

[Varangian]

Wait for a new or near new moon:thumbsup:

[Liz]

Congrats on the new scope Garry, the 10" Dobs are great. :thumbsup:
Keep that weather down there, thats ok. :D

[silv]

Just a feedback on what consequences your thread here about your Saturn discovery had:
During another frustrating setup session, I remembered your excitement and also took my first aim at Saturn on Sunday.
So thank you for sharing your joy!

[Honest_Gaza]

No problem Silv....always glad to share my joy :)

If only the next ventures had been as successful.

[Suzy]

Hi Garry,

As others have said, nebulae & galaxies are for new moon period (that's when there is no moon in our skies). To give you an idea, the magnitude of the full moon is -12. Being that bright, it will wash out much of the nebulae and galaxies in our sky- the Eta Carina nebula for example sits at magnitude +6.21. (negative is brighter, plus is dimmer) so as you can see, the full moon practically over powers it. I hope I'm making some sense here, if not, perhaps someone else can pop in and explain it better.

When the moon is out, that's a good time to do double star observing, splitting double stars, observing planets & open star clusters (not globulars really- best done with no moon).

This is also a good time to learn your bright stars and constellations. Do your homework of where it is in the sky to track down your target list of objects in readiness for new moon period. You will need to look up, work out the constellation, work out the star it sits next to, then work out how many degrees away from that bright star it sits and work out the starfield i.e. asterisms to plot you to your target. Computer software will better help you here, as in Stellarium or Starry Nights etc. Make the most use of those moon filled nights- I assure you it'll be worth it as you won't be wasting precious new moon time sorting thru all this stuff.
One of the good things about printing off a map is that you can make lots of notes and draw lots of arrows on them of where to hop to, best times to view etc.

On a moonless night, let your eyes dark adapt for at least 10 mins. Walk out armed with your planisphere or a printed map of the Carina constellation and a red light torch. The constellation resembles a triangle of sort- the nebula sits at the pointy end this triangle. Look for Theta Carinae which is a fairly bright star (it's part of the IC2602 Southern Pleiades cluster), very close by will sit the Eta Carina nebula. Don't look straight at it (theta) once you've spotted it- in other words your looking straight ahead but looking using the corner of your eye- you should be able to pick up the hazy patch naked eye. This is called averted vision- our eyes are more sensitive to the dark using using the rods (as opposed to cones) which are placed in our peripheral vision.
If a street light is next to you, move away from it, if you your external house lights are on, turn them off, if your curtains are open, close them; do whatever measures it takes to limit bright light inhibiting your viewing be it naked eye or through a telescope. A dark cloth over your head and eyepiece can also help tremendously (some us have no control over the neighbours lights :rolleyes: ).
Oh, and observe planets (if possible) after deep sky objects (you don't want to ruin your dark adaption as they're are so bright).

In a short amount of time, and with a few observing sessions under your belt- I am confident that hazy patches in the sky will become very apparent to you through your naked eye alone. Aside from the hazy patch in Carina, there's another one under Scopius' stinger which should make itself apparent (M6 & M7).;) Take small steps- you are only just starting out, so be patient, you'll learn and get better as you go- trust me.
Don't get disheartened yet- expect to stumble esp. at this stage. Know this- I'm the worst person ever to be in charge of a map- don't give me a road map :lol:, but with determination and passion and most of all patience, I was able to find objects- if I can do it anyone can. :P Looking at the sky and working out what's what will be key time spent BEFORE looking through that eyepiece. ;)

Remember too, that the sky conditions will greatly effect how you see that object. Some nights it will be magnificient, and other nights it can be terrible. Depending on how much moisture is in the air, cloud, turbulence etc play a huge role. This is why regular visits back to the same object help- each night can bring upon us some new detail and delight (or not!). The more you observe those faint fuzzies through your telescope, the better you will also get out at picking out detail- dark lanes etc become more apparent (again, depending on the condition of the night). It'll happen naturally- as long as you "observe" rather than just "see". Meaning, study the object. A UHC filter will greatly help nebula viewing by the way where light pollution poses a problem.

Getting your target highest in the sky away from the soup of the atmosphere will help too. This is where your computer programme will come in handy- work out when the object is going to be around 40 degrees plus above the horizon.
Your list of targets for that night should be listed in order of time & height- so you get the best chances of observing them.

I did a post a while back which I think may benefit you- please refer to posts #13, #14 & #15 here (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=841635#post841635) .

I too have a 10" dob, so trust me, you won't have a problem- you'll see a ton of good stuff through it from even a light polluted suburban backyard! :thumbsup:
Meanwhile, just have some fun and cruising by aiming your scope between Crux and Carina, you should bump into plenty of beautiful star clusters as they're so plentiful within that area.

P.S.
If some of the things I've suggested seem quite obvious, I do apologise, as I don't know you're level of knowledge yet, so I just threw it all out there.:)

[Honest_Gaza]

Suzy, thanks for the detailed explanation. And no need to apologise for suggesting the "obvious", because to someone that is new to this game, nuthin' is obvious :).

Everything you said makes sense and should prove to be very helpful. Thankyou for the encouraging words. Allan and others also mentioned to stay clear of the Moon (they must have heard me howling).

In relation to "just have some fun and cruising by aiming your scope between Crux and Carina, you should bump into plenty of beautiful star clusters as they're so plentiful within that area" I think I have been observing these very clusters and yes, it is amazing how many stars there are up there.

Probably taking a rest tonight as I'm going to be observing the stars on Channel 9 from 7:30pm ;)

Who knows, after the final whistle and assuming the clouds here in Sydney have lifted, maybe there will be time to have a quick look at the Full Moon in some detail.

[Honest_Gaza]

The Wife has plans for us for the next week (looks like some payback is coming....and it's going to cost me), so no star gazing for a bit.

Hopefully, when I get back at it, the nebulae will be waiting.

[MattT]

Hi Garry,
You seem to have done an awful lot of observing in a short amount of time...are you some kind of cloud whisperer??? If so how about moving to what used to be the most liveable city in the world and working your magic down here... could really use it. Great scope to start with too and to learn the sky I got Sky Safari on my ipod which I look at just about any time, at the Dentist, Trains, at work...an amazing bit of techno stuff. A very absorbing hobby.
Matt

[Honest_Gaza]

Thanks Matt....Melbourne is where my Wife dragged me all this week, and I haven't seen a star since I've been here....way too cloudy so I feel your pain :lol:

Looking forward to getting back into it next week :)

[Varangian]

Yep Melbourne really sux...if you want to look up and are not really all that into clouds.

[Honest_Gaza]

So back in Sydney this evening and while I was gone, someone must have replaced my Telescope with a Kaleidoscope....or sprayed the sky with hundreds and thousands :D

So different now that the Moon is not overpowering the sky. Looks like some fun evenings ahead once I catch up on some sleep.

[Honest_Gaza]

Finally found this one tonight....was beginning to think my days as an Astronomer were over before they had begun :lol:. (I have to become more methodical rather than blaze my way across the sky each night).

[cjamo9]

ot to far away from that one is the hamburger galaxy ngc5128?. you may be able to see it with your scope but unless you got a good night without the moon i wouldnt bother finding it.

[Honest_Gaza]

It's been a while since my last post (life got real busy), but still hanging in there.

Have had great viewing of Jupiter this year and the Nebula around the "pot handle" which I'm sure has a real name that escapes me at the moment :D

[Poita]

I'm guessing you mean M42?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula

[The_bluester]

Sounds like M42 to me, one of my favourite objects, I notice something new every time I observe it. I must have spent hours looking at it.

Actually the Trapezium area in M42 is one of my rough and ready seeing checks, if I can spot the A to F stars in the trapezium then it it likely to be an enjoyable night seeing wise.

[Honest_Gaza]

Yep...M42 is the one. Although, obviously didn't get the same view as the link above.

[Honest_Gaza]

...and a Year on since first discovering Saturn (although apparently, others discovered it long before I did)....took out the scope for the first time in Months, and there is that magnificent sight all over again :D

[Honest_Gaza]

12 Years later...we just had a look at Saturn and it brought back memories of our first glimpse of it. You were right...will never forget our first look.